Lucas relaxed. All things considered, it wasn’t such a bad punishment.
Remiel waved two of his fellow angels forward. Each of them held metal bands in their hands. Now Lucas got nervous.
“You will both also wear these around your ankles. They will prevent you from leaving the state of Alaska without my permission. This is not negotiable,” he said, voice resolute.
Micah glanced at him and shrugged. “It could be worse. Alaska is a few steps above Purgatory and at least they have food and decent shelter here.”
The angels kneeled down and fastened the cuffs around their ankles. After they finished, Remiel placed the spell that would keep him and his brother restricted. Lucas suppressed a shudder. Even if the state was more than six hundred thousand square miles, it still left him feeling confined. Melena rubbed at his arm, which made him feel slightly better. She was here and that was all that mattered.
“I call the guardian Kerbasi forward next,” Remiel announced.
The rest of them took a couple steps back to make room.
“I took no part in this.” Kerbasi screwed his face up.
“No, but your punishment period is not over so we must give you a new sentence to complete,” the archangel explained.
He glanced at Melena. “You mean I will not be staying with the sensor anymore.”
“You will not.” Remiel clasped his hands in front of him. “Instead you will be joining Lucas and Micah in their endeavors. The nerou will need someone who has come from the same place as them but learned to live life here on Earth. You will help guide them.”
The guardian gave Lucas and Micah a broad smile. “I believe I will enjoy this job.”
Lucas had a sudden urge to rip Kerbasi’s head off. He’d thought his punishment acceptable until now. How could they possibly think the three of them could work together?
“I ask that you reconsider,” Lucas said, addressing the archangel.
Remiel put up his hand. “It is decided.
Do not
interfere.
”
Then he moved to the guardian and touched the armband he still wore. Light infused it as the archangel placed a new spell on it. Now the three of them were trapped in Alaska together. Lucas would never have considered this sort of punishment.
“Ariel, step forward,” Remiel beckoned.
The female archangel came to stand in front of him. She held her head up, but there was a glisten of tears in her eyes. Whatever was about to happen to her, she must have known it would be bad. Lucas almost felt sorry for her—almost.
“You chose to lower yourself to consorting with Earth-born races. Therefore, you will be punished in front of them rather than at a regular tribunal.”
Ariel nodded. “I understand.”
“Spread your wings.”
Everyone scrambled out of the way as she slowly spread them open. Lucas had always envied angel wings, though he’d never have admitted it aloud. Hers had pure white feathers covering them and spanned for six feet on either side of her.
Remiel flashed to behind her and put a hand on each wing. Clutching them tightly, he began to chant in an ancient language Lucas could not understand. Melena gasped next to him, sensing what was happening. Then he noticed the wings change color. It started at the edges. They darkened to black with the stain spreading until not a trace of white showed anymore.
The archangel came back around to face Ariel, who was now crying. He put a hand to her forehead, the expression on his face grave.
“
You are banished to Hell.
”
Ariel screamed. “Please, no!”
Sparks flew from his palm and in the next moment she was gone. Lucas and the others present looked at each other. Melena had an expression of outrage on her face and he had to hold her back.
No one had ever seen an angel fall before. He wasn’t certain he ever wanted to witness it again. He’d halfway liked Ariel in comparison to the others of her kind. What became of newly fallen angels in Hell? Were they made to suffer before being accepted? Perhaps it was better he didn’t know.
“Yerik,” Remiel said, wiping his hands on his pristine white robe. “Step forward.”
Lorna jumped in front of the daimoun. “Punish me instead. It’s my fault he acted the way he did.”
The archangel gazed kindly at her. “We suspected you might say that. How far will you go to prevent him from following Ariel?”
“I’ll do anything,” Lorna swore.
“Your son needs you for some years yet if he is to turn out better than his father, but as it stands now you will not remain alive for long. Do you understand what I’m saying?” He gave her an inquiring look.
“Yes.” Her hands shook as she answered.
Lucas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Would they encourage her to become immortal? He’d had to battle to get that privilege for Melena.
“I will gladly give her my blood,” Yerik said, putting his arms around his mate.
“No, you will not.” Remiel shook his head. “Considering your parentage and the state of her health, it would kill her.”
“Then who?” The couple glanced around.
“Melena may provide one dose of her blood since she seems inclined to pass it to sensors already.” Remiel shot her a censorious look. “She is the only one with the right chemistry for it to be safe. One dose will not grant immortality, but it will give you the additional years you need and remove your current health problems.”
When it came to blood exchanges, it was always complicated. Lucas had suggested turning Melena into a vampire at one point, but the archangels had said she wouldn’t survive the transition. They’d had to be very careful giving her doses from him.
Lorna exhaled a breath. “I can accept that.”
“Yerik must still serve a sentence,” Remiel warned. “The gravity of his crimes are too great to do otherwise.”
“As long as my mate lives, I can accept anything,” Yerik promised.
“You must be aware that holding you in Purgatory is not an option. We also know you relocated Zoe to the moon, which was creative—even if it did require us masking her presence there.”
How much had the archangels known of their activities? Lucas was beginning to suspect they’d been aware all along, but had chosen to allow events to play out. They’d told him once they couldn’t punish him until after he committed a crime—even if they knew he was about to do it. Under their laws, there still had to be a certain amount of freedom of choice.
“Then where would you send me?” Yerik asked, confused.
“Your punishment for Zoe inspired us. We selected a livable planet in a different solar system that is far beyond where even you could flash away. It contains no humanoid life, but does have wild animals and plants. You and Zoe will be relocated there where you will contemplate your reprehensible behavior for the next ten years.”
Zoe was finally getting what she deserved. The greatest punishment they could give that woman was forcing her to be alone without her creature comforts. While the moon served a similar purpose, this was better. They didn’t have to worry about her eventually hitching a ride on a passing ship or other mechanism. They’d have ten years of peace from her. He’d also be rid of Yerik, who had dared threaten his mate and caused trouble between them.
For once, Lucas approved of the archangels’ choice.
Lorna turned in Yerik’s arms. “I will miss you so much.”
“I will return.” He held her tightly. “Wait for me.”
“I promise,” she vowed.
“Melena,” the archangel addressed her. “If you could hold out your hand.”
The sensor didn’t hesitate to do as told.
“Lorna, if you could step this way,” Remiel called her.
The older woman shuffled over to them. The archangel took a small blade from the folds of his robe and cut into Melena’s palm. She winced, but didn’t jerk away. Then he bid Lorna to drink the blood that welled up. Hesitantly, she bent forward and took Melena’s hand, pressing her lips to it. Everyone in the room held their collective breath.
Lorna finished and wiped the red from around her mouth. It took a few minutes, but then a change came over her. The age spots on her face went away and her wrinkles smoothed out. She still looked older, but it was as if she’d regained twenty years of her life and could pass for fifty. There was a slight spring in her step, too, as she returned to Yerik and hugged him.
Remiel gestured for a female archangel Lucas had never met before to come forward. “You will take the daimoun to the planet we selected and then bring Zoe there as well.”
She nodded and moved toward Yerik. It took Lorna a tearful moment to pull herself away, but she did. If Lucas was going to feel sympathy for anyone, it would be her.
In a flash of light Yerik and the female archangel disappeared.
“Melena, step forward,” Remiel commanded.
Lucas tensed. He’d hoped they’d leave her out of this. He clenched his fists as she stoically moved to the middle of the room.
“You have several crimes to answer for,” the archangel began. “More than the others—aside from Yerik.”
“I only did what I thought was right,” she answered, emotionless.
“Do not play the innocent. You know right from wrong. When you made your decisions you did so knowing there would be consequences. Breaking your contract with us, giving your blood to Emily without permission, and invading Purgatory are all crimes for which you must answer.”
Lucas ground his jaw. He wracked his mind for some way to protect Melena from whatever was coming, but there was nowhere to run or hide. He couldn’t even flash her somewhere safe.
“You might wonder why Lucas and Micah have received light punishments, all things considered,” the archangel said, looking down at Melena.
She nodded. “The thought crossed my mind.”
“It is because the greatest punishment we could level at them is to punish you.”
Lucas leaped forward. Remiel sent a flash of light out and in the next moment he was frozen, unable to move. All he could do was blink his eyes. He struggled against the spell, but to no avail. The archangel had been prepared for this.
Remiel gestured another angel forward who produced a pair of shackles and chains. Lucas shook inside at seeing them. They couldn’t mean to do what he was thinking. It was ludicrous. She wasn’t a nephilim and shouldn’t be punished as one.
“Rather than sending the brothers to Purgatory, you will be going for a period of three months instead. While there, you will contemplate your actions and hopefully learn to avoid any ill-advised decisions in the future. And anyway.” Remiel glanced at Lucas. “Someone has to mine the ore now that the nerou are remaining here.”
This time Micah leaped forward.
“Take me instead,” he demanded. “It’s my fault she got into this mess.”
The archangel froze him in place and stared at him where he stood with one leg cocked forward. “We both know sending her is the greater punishment. Perhaps you will all learn a valuable lesson in this.”
Melena looked at Lucas. “I’ll be okay. It’s only for three months. That’s nothing compared to the time you’ve spent there.”
He’d rather be burned alive for a hundred years than see her confined to Purgatory for a day. If he could have broken from Remiel’s magic, he would have. Instead, he had to watch as an angel wrapped shackles around her wrists. His heart bled from the sight of it.
“Wait. You can’t do this!” Emily pushed through the crowd. “She’s all I’ve got left.”
The teenager’s voice was desperate and she was crying. She fell to her knees before Remiel and clutched at his robes. “Please, Remi. I’ll do anything if you just let her stay.”
He put a hand to her head. This was the first time Lucas had ever seen such a soft expression on the archangel. “You are the innocent in all this. I am sorry the choices of others will cause you further suffering, little one. If it were within my power to give you a better life, I would do so.”
Emily’s lips trembled. “Please, I need her. Don’t take her away.”
A soft glow emanated from his hand as he gently caressed her head. Lucas suspected if the archangel could have used calming magic on her he would have.
“It is decided, but you will not be apart from her for long. Take comfort in that.”
His head lifted and he looked at Lucas. “If I lift the freezing spell, will you take her?”
“Please, Lucas. Focus on her, not me,” Melena begged.
He was torn. She was forcing him to choose at a time when all he wanted to do was save her. But Emily needed him as well. The teenager was falling apart and needed someone she trusted to pick her back up.
Lucas blinked his acceptance and the spell was lifted. It took every ounce of strength he had to walk past Melena and take Emily instead. The teenager fell into his arms, crying. He rubbed her back and tried to comfort her. Hell, he didn’t know how to console himself at the moment. What was he supposed to say to a girl who’d lost so much in her short life?
The archangel was taking the woman they loved away from them. He fully understood the pain Emily felt. In that moment, he wished he had the power to kill every angel in the room. He’d rip them to pieces and burn their flesh until there was no trace of their existence. How dare they make Melena pay the greater price for their crimes?